Building on a Legacy: County Pod Initative
Purdue Extension has a proud history of serving Indiana’s communities through impactful programming, trusted relationships, and significant engagement. As we look to the future, we will build on this strong foundation to ensure our work remains relevant, resilient, and responsive to the evolving needs of the people we serve.
This fall we are launching the county pod initiative - a strategic effort to test new approaches to strengthen our connection to communities, foster collaboration across counties, and support long-term sustainability.
This initiative is guided by two key priorities.
· Transformation: Reimagining our programs, technologies, and delivery models to better meet today’s challenges and opportunities and to anticipate and shape the needs of tomorrow.
· Sustainable Funding: Building a resilient operational model that supports innovation, emphasizes impact, and strengthens partnerships.
The two county pods are:
· East Central: Blackford, Delaware, Henry, Jay, Randolph and Wayne counties
· West Central: Benton, Fountain, Tippecanoe and Warren counties
Under this initiative:
· Counties will transition from a personnel-based approach to a collaborative service delivery model.
· 4-H programming will continue to be delivered locally in each county, with volunteers remaining central to its success.
· Teams of educators and specialists will work across each pod to deliver Agriculture & Natural Resources, Health & Human Sciences, and Community Development programming.
The goal is to provide broader access to expertise, more flexibility to meet changing needs, stronger university-community connections, and more sustainable operations. Our core mission remains unchanged: supporting agriculture, natural resources, food, family, money, health, leadership, community, and youth development - helping producers, families, youth, and communities thrive.
We’ve begun working with staff in the two selected pods to build out and test strategies. We are also hosting stakeholder listening sessions in both pods to gather insights and perspectives that will help shape the path forward.
We have scheduled a brainstorming session at PDC in December, where we invite you to share your ideas and help shape the future of Extension.
This initiative is not just about change. It’s about collaboration, innovation, and honoring the legacy of Extension while preparing for what’s next. Thank you for your continued dedication and partnership.
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